Sanyo S750

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http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39030107,39188033,00.htm

Reviewed 18 March 2005

Reviewed by Sandra Vogel

The Sanyo S750 is the only phone in Orange's range to incorporate a sliding mechanism to reveal the number pad. Implemented well, this type of design makes for a compact phone, but the S750 is actually rather tall. Orange quotes the dimensions as 50 by 108 by 22mm. In fact, that 108mm does not take into account the external antenna which adds, according to our measurements, a further 21mm. With a weight of 125g, the S750 is not overly heavy.

With the phone closed, you get buttons for starting and ending voice calls (and, with an extra key press, video calls) and navigating the on-board applications. To do anything more, you'll have to slide the device open.

There are two cameras, one on the front and one on the rear. A softkey button is set to launch the camera: if the phone is closed you get the view from the front camera (i.e. of yourself); open up the phone and a few key presses are needed to switch to the rear camera; with the phone open, the button launches the rear camera by default.

The Sanyo S750 has an SD card slot for memory expansion, and thankfully you can access this without removing the battery -- it's at the top, protected by a solidly hinged cover. The earphone socket is on the right edge, which is not ideal. This socket and the charge/USB connector at the bottom are both protected by well-secured rubber covers.

Synchronisation software is provided, but you don't get a cable, so you'll need to either set up a Bluetooth or infrared link or buy a USB cable.

The Sanyo S750 has a long list of features, as befits a high-end phone. It supports GSM at 900, 1800 and 1900MHz, GPRS and UMTS (3G). It will also act as a 3G modem for a notebook computer when configured properly -- you can download setup instructions for Windows XP, ME, 2000 and 98 here.

There is only 8MB of built-in memory, and even before taking any photos or storing any data on the phone we were left with a little over 3MB free. So you'll need to use the SD slot for serious data storage -- in fact, with an SD card in place you can use the Sanyo S750 as a mass storage device. We did not have the optional USB cable -- which has a proprietary connector at the phone end -- and so could not test this feature. However, the instructions at Sanyo's Web site are pretty straightforward.

The 61mm (2.4-inch) QVGA screen delivers 262,144 colours (18-bit colour) and makes the most of the bundled software. The S750 is Java-compatible and comes with a calendar, address book, currency converter, voice memo tool, to-do list manager, alarm and MP3 player. There are two Java games: Reversii and a golf game, the latter being a demo version.

Stills can be captured at 1280x960, 640x480, 320x240 and 160x120 pixels, while video support runs to 176x144 and 128x96 pixels. There is a 4x digital zoom, and the rear camera incorporates a flash unit. Images can be easily attached to MMS messages or sent to other devices via Bluetooth or infrared using a single softkey selection.

Orange's 3G offering delivers a fairly standard blend of entertainment and information. The Orange World service, with its mix of 'football, film and fun' provides access to such items as film reviews and trailers, celebrity interviews, football match and goal highlights, news (from Sky) and weather.

The Traffic TV service, which is exclusive to Orange, provides access to CCTV footage from roadside traffic cameras. GPRS users can download traffic reports, stills and video clips, while 3G users can also download live CCTV feeds.

Our test unit failed to provide a consistent 3G connection in locations where other 3G phones had performed more reliably.

Battery life is estimated at 100 minutes of video calling, 190 minutes of GSM, and 210 hours on standby. Our real world testing supports this, although video calling did drain the battery particularly quickly.

The ability to use the Sanyo S750 as a modem may appeal to those looking for an alternative to a 3G data card. This can be achieved using either Bluetooth or a cable connection, although it would be useful if Orange bundled the required cable with the phone.

Edited by: Charles McLellan
Additional editing by: Nick Hide